ZNE Makes Its Big Apple Debut

The Delta in Brooklyn (credit: Voltaire Solaire) 

If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. So we're excited to report that New York City has its first ever zero net building. The Delta, as it's called, is a retrofit of a 2,700 square foot building using both solar and wind power for energy needs and generating its own electricity, water and heat. Even with its unique triangular shape and lack of southern exposure, the five-story building located in Brooklyn uses enough renewables to offset its annual energy use.

The building is a triplex residence, studio residence, retail location and restaurant all in one, and includes solar panels, a solar skin, a special window treatment and a rooftop wind turbine, to make it ZNE.

The developer, Voltaire Solaire, partnered with IKEA, Samsung, Sharp and others to make the project come to life, and is now working on a second multifamily project.

Read more about the New York project here. 





 

Project ABC Green Home (And ZNE Blog Series) In Full Swing

Foundation poured at ABC Green Home at Great Park in Irvine, Calif. 

On the heels of ABC Green Home's recent groundbreaking, the project reached yet another major milestone last week -- the setting of the home's foundation slab. What started as an idea by Green Home Builder magazine's publisher and SCE to build an affordable, environmentally friendly home, is now becoming a reality.

Next on the fast-paced construction agenda is building the framing for the house, starting this week. As the project is set to be completed in just 70-80 days, we'll be chronicling the step-by-step process of the build with a series of construction updates and videos on the ZNE blog.  

For more information about the project, check out the June issue of Green Home Builder magazine, which includes a feature story on ABC Green Home's groundbreaking. And stay tuned here for more exciting updates.

ZNE More Mainstream, Researchers Say

Locations of ZNE buildings, in a variety of U.S. climates (source: NBI)

Zero net energy commercial buildings are becoming more mainstream and don't need to cost more to build, according to a recent report from the New Buildings Institute . The report looked at 21 ZNE buildings and 78 zero-energy-capable buildings in the U.S. and Canada, and determined features the buildings shared and any incremental costs.

What they found was that, although the buildings all use highly efficient equipment, there was no super advanced technology that is not commonly known or used. The study also found that there is a growing number of larger ZNE schools and office buildings.

While the buildings studied operate in many climates, they share a few common efficiency strategies, such as natural daylighting, high-efficiency lighting and increased insulation.

Read more about the research study here. 

CHIP On View at California Science Center Through May 31

Inside CHIP (source: SCI-arch Caltech)

Last month, we wrote about CHIP (Compact Hyper-Insulated Prototype), the progressive zero net energy building created by students from the Southern California Institute of Architecture and California Institute of Technology.

Through a partnership with the California Science Center in Los Angeles, the house is now open to the public for free tours through May 31, 2012. Visitors can explore CHIP inside and out weekdays from 10 am - 1:30 pm, and weekends from 10 am - 4 pm.

Read more about the exhibit here. 

Hawaii Now Home to Nation's First ZNE, LEED-Platinum Affordable Housing Project

Kaupuni Village (source: Hunt Companies, Inc.)

Kaupuni Village, touted as the nation's first ZNE affordable housing project, recently achieved LEED Platinum Certification in the LEED for Homes Rating System. Located on the Wai'anae coast of Oahu, Hawaii, the community was constructed by Hunt Companies, Inc., and planned and developed by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), as a model for future developments.

All three- and four-bedroom homes within the community incorporate energy efficient features, such as solar water heating, photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, renewable materials, and energy efficient lighting and appliances. Housing is available to residents that meet the income requirements below 80 percent of the area median income.

As an added bonus, Kaupuni Village's community center will provide residents with opportunities to grow and prepare their own foods via gardening spaces, aquaculture ponds and an imu (or underground) oven.

Read more about Kaupuni Village here. 

ZNE Building to Become $1.3 Trillion Market

According to a report released this month by Pike Research, with green building becoming more mainstream, the ZNE building construction industry is expected to grow into a $1.3 trillion market by 2035, driven primarily by demand from Europe, where ZNE requirements are increasingly required.

While there may be a community of early adopter builders and designers in the U.S., Eric Bloom, Pike Research's building industry research analyst, sees states such as California and Massachusetts leading the way in the U.S. towards bringing building codes closer to a ZNE standard.  

Steve Galanter in our Customer Energy Efficiency and Solar division said this report demonstrates that current and anticipated future interest in ZNE buildings throughout the country is growing. SCE's interests align with this as we are pushing for economic integrated design and deep energy-usage reductions to ensure that this trend is market sustainable.

Read more about Pike Research's ZNE report here.

Introducing British Columbia's First Zero Net Energy Home

British Columbia's First Zero Net Energy Home (Source: The Globe and Mail)

Perched high on a hill in a Whistler neighborhood named Rainbow is a home with all the luxuries you'd expect from a new development in a popular resort -- and the eco-friendly bells and whistles that make it the first zero net energy home in British Columbia, Canada.

Built by Whistler's RDC Fine Homes, the 2,200-square-foot, three-level house features a solar photovoltaic system with six hundred square feet of steep solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity, to ensure the home creates as much energy as it consumes. With structural insulated panel walls, which use less lumber than wood-framed construction and help keep conditioned air in, less energy is required for heating and cooling.

Other attributes include spray foam insulation made from recycled plastics and vegetable oil to eliminate air leakage; high-efficiency, triple-glazed fiberglass windows that enhance energy performance; a hydronic pipe layot to keep floors warm in winter and cool in summer; and an energy-efficient HVAC system that recaptures the heat out of water going down the drain and recovers exhausted warm air from the dryer.

Learn more about British Columbia's first ZNE home here.  

Meet CHIP, the iPad and Kinect Controlled Zero Net Energy Home

The CHIP home (source: SCI-Arc/Caltech)

Can you imagine a zero net energy house that actually feeds power into the grid using a bank of solar panels and exterior insulation, without sacrificing style? Students from the Southern California Institute of Architecture and California Institute of Technology did, and they call it CHIP (Compact Hyper-Insulated Prototype).

Created as an entry for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, CHIP led the SCI-Arc/Caltech team to the next stage of the competition, which culminated in a display of the most progressive new building and energy projects on the Mall in Washington, D.C. last year.

Up to 45 solar panels can be mounted on CHIP's roof, providing three times the energy than the home actually requires. LED lighting and wireless switches mean less power and fewer bulbs, while HVAC energy use is reduced by using a large water storage tank.

The house is high tech as well, with wireless lighting controlled and power consumption monitored with an iPad. The thick thermal envelop around the house is controlled by a Kinect sensor bar using gestures and pointing, meaning CHIP can turn on specific hardware when you sit in certain chairs, close blinds when it's bright, and automatically lower shutters to avoid passive heating.

Read more about CHIP here.

Keeping up with ZNE News

Want to keep up on the latest ZNE news? Check out the ZNE Action Bulletin that keeps you up to date on the California Public Utility Commission's efforts toward a clean, green energy future for California.

Frito-Lay Plant Approaches Near ZNE

Solar Panels at Frito-Lay's Casa Grande plant in Arizona (source: Frito-Lay)

Already known as the company that makes chips and snacks, Frito-Lay is now also the company with one of the greenest manufacturing facilities in the U.S.

Named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies for its plan to move all 32 of its plants to zero-waste status, the snack company just completed an even more ambitious project: a near-ZNE plant. The Arizona plant dubbed Casa Grande, which will produce Lays, Tostitos, SunChips, Cheetos and more, features a water-recovery system that allows the plant to recycle 75 per cent of its water, a five megawatt solar photovoltaic system and a solar shade parking structure.

The same energy and efficiency technologies are currently being used piece-meal at various other Frito-Lay plants, but this is the first time Frito-Lay is putting them all together in one plant.

Read more on this new near-ZNE project here.

The Country's Largest ZNE Community Welcomes Its First Tenants at UC Davis

shaded windows at UC Davis West Village (credit: Frederic Larson)

The country's largest planned ZNE community of its kind has officially opened on the University of California at Davis campus.

While it may seem like just your typical-yet stylish housing development, look beyond the amenities (which include a video game-playing area and sand volleyball court) and you'll see solar panels on the roof of every building and parking area canopy. In total, the panels provide a 4-megawatt photovoltaic system that will generate enough electricity over the course of the year to meet all the needs of the residents, planners say.

The development, dubbed UC Davis West Village, is a joint public-private partnership with funding from UC Davis, San Francisco real estate developers Carmel Partners, Urban Villages of Denver (who oversaw construction and own and manage the community) and grants from state and federal government.  

The first phase of the development now houses about 850 students.

Learn more about UC Davis West Village. 

First ZNE Multi-Housing Community Opens in Washington

zHomes in Issaquah (source: Multi-Housing News)

A ZNE, carbon-neutral multifamily community has opened its doors in Issaquah, Washington. Dubbed zHomes, these homes use zero net energy and 70 percent less water than other residences. 

According to Brad Liljequist, zHome project manager with the City of Issaquah, this project shows that ZNE is an achievable goal, which could make a big impact on CO2 emissions in the United States. Liljequist says about 40 percent of all CO2 emissions in the nation come from buildings.

With solar panels on top of the homes, the community will be like a mini-power generation plant in the summer, putting solar energy back on the electrical grid. During the winter when the sun is lower, it will be a net-energy user, equaling out energy used to zero over the course of the year.

This community is built in private and public partnership between the City of Issaquah, Built Green, King County, Port Blakely Communities, Puget Sound Energy and the Washington State University Energy Program.

Introducing ZNE 2.0

Tampa ZeroHouse 2.0 backyard (source: KB Home)

One of the nation's leading homebuilders sees the future of ZNE, and they call it the ZeroHouse 2.0.

KB Home recently announced plans to rollout its next generation of energy-efficient home designs. ZeroHouse 2.0 is a ZNE Home with building features enhancing energy efficiency through a whole-home approach, including increased insulation, upgraded heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, dual-pane, low-emittance windows and solar panels on the roof. Model homes have opened in Tampa, Fla., San Antonio, Texas, and Austin, Texas. The homebuilder plans to go national in 2012.

The company says that while a new ENERGY STAR-qualified house may save homeowners an average of $1,000 annually on their energy utility costs, a ZeroHouse 2.0 may eliminate monthly electricity charges entirely.

Barbie's New Eco-Friendly Dream Home

The winning entry in AIA's Barbie Dream House competition (source: FastCoDesign)

Barbie has a new dream home and this one's eco-friendly fabulous. Equipped with a green house, solar panels on the roof, Energy Star appliances and locally sourced and manufactured materials, Barbie's new dream home would make the U.S. Green Building Council proud.

The house was designed as part of the American Institute of Architects' Barbie Dream House competition, designed to inspire young girls to experience the world of architecture and the range of possibilities that design thinking offers. The winning entry was submitted by recent Harvard master's grads who believe that Barbie should uphold the "principles set forth by the U.S. Green Building Council while staying true to all the needs of a classic California girl."

Mattel won't actually be producing the house, but maybe it will inspire other architects to create their own, real-life eco-friendly dream homes.

Read more about the winning Barbie Dream House here. 

NYC to Get Its First ZNE Building

(image courtesy Solar One)

The New York City Council recently awarded $1.25 million to the construction of the City's first zero net energy and zero net water building. Dubbed Solar 2, the building will allow NYC nonprofit, Solar One to expand its energy efficiency and renewable energy public programs.

Specifically, the building will house cutting-edge environment exhibits and public activities, and provide classroom space and learning tools for Solar One's K-12 environmental education programs.

The 13,000-square-foot building will accomplish ZNE water and energy use through the use of such features as geothermal heating, a water reclamation system, New York's first outdoor Green Theater with a solar-powered stage, and a green roof and vegetative green screen to reduce heating and cooling in the building.

Transparent walls and cutaways will give visitors a glimpse of the "insides" of the building and its heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

Learn more about this innovative building in NYC here. 

Massachusetts College Takes on ZNE Challenge

Bechtel Environment Classroom rendering (courtesy Smith College)

When Smith College breaks ground on its new Bechtel Environmental Classroom next month, it will also issue itself a challenge: to create a zero net energy learning facility. To achieve this goal, the design includes features such as a high-efficiency solar array and self-composting toilets, as well as recycled local lumber or newly harvested lumber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. When it opens, students will be responsible for monthly calculations to document that the structure is truly net zero.

Smith College expects the buidling to be completed by May 2012.

Learn more about the environmental classroom here.

 

ZNE Allows Hospitals to Operate More Efficiently

From contest semifinalist Perkins+Will's "Small Hospitals, Big Idea" proposal. Image courtesy Kaiser Permanente.

A design competition called "Small Hospital, Big Idea," created by health care provider, Kaiser Permanente has resulted in innovative proposals for efficient, small hospitals with a near-zero impact on the environent.

The finalists designed buildings that included an interactive roof design, patient gardens and whiteboards that allow patients to tap into doctor's notes and download them to personal electronic devices. See their proposals here; the winning design will be announced on Nov. 4.

What do you think of this idea?

Affordable Net Zero Homes Are a Reality

Mock up of Las Vegas net zero home (source: Meritage Homes)

A new crop of net zero homes in Las Vegas were recently unveiled by Meritage Homes. The green homes can generate as much energy as the homeowners consume, thanks to 100 percent ENERGY STAR-certified appliances, air-tight spray-foam insulation, "smart" controllers for landscape irrigation and low-flow showers, among other features.

Not only do the homes reduce monthly electric bills of home buyers, but with available federal tax credits, these green homes are more affordable than ever.

Read more about the new Las Vegas homes here. 

Kentucky Middle School Gets an "A" for Energy Savings

Turkey Foot Middle School (Source: KYPost.com) 

The new Turkey Foot Middle School may look like most schools, but it's the first of its kind in Kentucky. Through the use of solar panels and other energy-saving concepts, the school is one step closer to becoming net zero. It's twice the size of the old school it replaced but will use about a fifth of the energy, according to Kenton County Superintendent Tim Hanner.

Learn more about the almost net zero school here, including a news clip regarding the project. 

Jerseyville Gets Net Zero Subdivision

Lexington Farms, a brand new green community in Jerseyville, Ill.
(photo by Laurie Skrivan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch)  

Jerseyville, Illinois, about 40 miles north of St. Louis, is now on the net zero map with a new subdivision designed to provide its residents with no-cost electricity. MidAmerica Solar of Imperial, Sachs Electric of Fenton and Capstone Development Group of Webster Groves built the Lexington Farms subdivision, which includes 32 homes with rooftop solar panels and wind turbines mounted over garages.

According to Jeff Lewis, president of MidAmerica Solar, over the course of the year, the solar panels and wind turbines provide all the energy needed to power heating and air-conditioning systems, along with other household electricity needs. Lewis says that while similar technology has been used in homes, it hasn't been done on this scale for an entire subdivision.

Read more about the new net zero subdivision in this STLToday.com article.